The Landgraab Tale
by Lady Fafa
Summary: Nobody's life is perfect, and so is the Landgraabs' lives. Could they accept the diversity between them: workaholic/socialite mother, down-to-earth father, and bright little boy? Rate & Review, it's my first fanfic!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Some characters actually don't exist in The Sims 3's Sunset Valley. I made them up so the story could be more fun and complex. This is also because I don't remember ALL of The Sims 3 characters. Sorry. I hope you enjoy it! Rate and review, okay? Oh, and sorry if there's some inaccuracy, like the age of the characters or such._

"Mom? Are you there?" A boy's voice was heard. The boy, little Malcolm, looked around his dining room. He shook his head. He shouldn't have thought that his mother was here and was making breakfast. His mother, Nancy, had gone to her office early, as always. It was always Phyllis, the family's maid, who made breakfast.

"Mrs. Landgraab is not here, honey. Pancakes?" she offered him. He nodded. Some steps were heard from the stairs. Malcolm was sure that it must be his father, Geoffrey.

Malcolm had heard so much about his own family from everyone. They said that their marriage was not fully based on love, but because Nancy was the only child and the Langraabs had to continue the family business. That Geoffrey was offered money to marry her and change his last name to her last name. Malcolm knew his parents were not the best couple in Sunset Valley, but the Goths weren't too. He also knew that his friend, Mortimer, was born to this weird and awkward family. He knew that Mortimer's father, Gunther, suffered a great loss after his first wife, the young Lolita, died when she was trying to repair the television. Maybe because of their awkward families, they became good friends.

"Smells good, Phyllis," Geoffrey said. He sat and he ate the pancake. Malcolm ate them, silently. His father spotted that he was acting weirdly. "What is it, son? Something wrong?" he asked. Malcolm shook his head. "Nothing, Dad. It's just… well, Mom's not around again," he murmured. Geoffrey took a deep breath. He knew it was going to be like this one day.

"She's… busy with her job, my boy. I mean, well, she has a company to run. Unlike me. I'm a doctor. I am, too, busy," he tried to give a reason. Malcolm nodded. He finished his breakfast as soon as possible. It would be better for him to go to school earlier rather than hearing his father couldn't explain about his mother. "That's the school bus! I'm going, Dad. Bye, Dad. Bye, Phyllis!" he said, as he took his schoolbag and ran to the bus.

Geoffrey put his spoon and fork down. He rubbed his forehead. He was just 38 years old, but he felt as if he was 50 and he was facing a very great crisis in his life. Phyllis came and rubbed his back. "Sir, you have a wonderful child. It is not your fault if he rarely meets his mother. Mrs. Landgraab is _supposed_ to know that she has a lovely son. She just doesn't see him," she calmed him down. "I… I don't know, Phyllis. Oh, God, you're so young. You don't understand how rude life can be when it comes to money and social status. Nancy was born and was raised in this kind of community. She was raised to be the super rich lady with fame and money. She sees our marriage as another part of her social life. She sees our Malcolm as a glue to keep our marriage alive. The truth is, she doesn't even care to look at his homework," he muttered.

Nancy was smiling to all of her clients. "So, is it a deal?" she said as she offered the man to shake her hand. He smiled. "Yes, Mrs. Landgraab."

She was very happy today. Everything was great. The clients accepted the offers, her company's products' selling reached the top, and the weather was lovely. She couldn't be happier. "Mrs. Landgraab. I heard your success," Gunther said as she walked out of the meeting room.

"Gunther. I was powerful. I took control. They couldn't talk," she boasted. "Why don't we, uh, have lunch together? Little Corsican Bistro, okay?" he asked. She smiled again. "My pleasure," she agreed.

As she walked to her office in the building, she wondered why her husband couldn't be as charming as Gunther. Gunther was, in every way she could think of, a man of high class and society just like her. Their ancestors founded the Sunset Valley, and they both were raised in good community, unlike Geoffrey, who was an orphaned scholarship student. Geoffrey was good, but he was just a plain, ordinary man. A man with no special abilities to attract her. If only Gunther hadn't married Lolita right after the girl graduated from high school, she would've asked her parents to marry her off to him. She had always had a secret crush on him. It was no problem that they both already had their own spouse. For Nancy Amelia Landgraab, it was not a crime.

"Dr. Jolina is taking care of that 15-year-old boy. The residents and Dr. Stewart will handle other two patients. One is with leukemia and one has just broken his arm." Geoffrey said to the nurse. He was the doctor in charge of the Emergency room.

A pregnant woman suddenly came into the Emergency room as she was lying on the bed with wheels. "Dr. Landgraab! She's going to give birth early," a nurse said as the woman started to cry for help. "I'll take this one," Geoffrey said as he pushed the bed with the woman to the delivery room. The woman's husband came as well.

"What's her name?" Geoffrey asked as he put on his surgical gloves. "Janie Ashmore. I'm Roy Ashmore, her husband," he said.

"Okay, Janie. I'm Geoffrey, now do you feel like you could push?" he asked. "Mm-hmm," Janie moaned. "Now, take a deep breath. Breathe, Janie. Now, push!"

The baby was delivered in an hour. It was a baby girl.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Ashmore. You have a perfect baby girl," he said as he handed the baby to Janie. Janie cried as she touched her newborn daughter's head. "She's beautiful, isn't she, Roy?" she said. "Yes. She's the most gorgeous baby in the world," Roy replied. He turned to Geoffrey and held his hands. "Thank you, Doctor, for delivering our little girl," he thanked Geoffrey with the entire world in his eyes. "Yes, Doc, we both thank you," she added. Geoffrey smiled. "It is my duty to help everyone in Sunset Valley," he said.

This is why he chose to be a doctor. He wanted to save people and make their worries to go away. If he couldn't save his own life or his marriage, he must be able to save others' lives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As always, Malcolm was playing with Arlo Bunch, Mortimer Goth, and Zach Cheney. His mother, on rare occasion, had told him to find and hang with kids who had the same social status like their family had. But the only kid who, in his mother's eyes, qualified the condition was Mortimer. She couldn't possibly ask her own son to have one friend only, right? Besides, Malcolm felt that what his mother did was pointless. He felt that his mother saw him not as the son she gave birth to eight years ago who she should love and take care with all of her heart. Instead, she only saw him as the heir to the family company. He was a little bit jealous to his friend, Mortimer. Mortimer's parents didn't make him to be a businessman like his father. They just said that he should study hard, so when he grew up he could be everything he wanted to be. _He's got wise and nice parents. Although his parents' relationship is a bit of weird, they're more normal than Mom_, Malcolm thought.

"Hey, boys!" Bella Bachelor greeted them. She was one of the most popular little girls in Community School for The Gifted, their school. She was the sister of the popular jock, Michael Bachelor, who was fifteen and in high school. No wonder she became popular like her brother.

"Hello, Bella. Where's Kaylynn?" Mortimer asked. Mortimer and Bella had been best friends since they were born—that was what every elementary school students in Sunset Valley said. Their friendship was very strong, just like Malcolm and Mortimer's. Everybody thought and believed that Mortimer and Bella could be dating when they're old enough.

"Kaylynn Langerak is sick. Don't you know about that?" Darlene Bunch, younger sister of Arlo, joined the conversation. "Hey, sis, we're all fifth-graders. You fourth-grader shouldn't come," Arlo warned. They didn't have a very good relationship as brother and sister. "You know what? I'm _a year_ younger, and that's not a big deal, okay?" Darlene was irritated. She left them.

"Hey, Arlo, she wasn't that bad. I mean, she's pretty cute, okay?" Zach said. They were shocked to hear it. "Zach Cheney, are you serious?" Malcolm asked. But before he could answer it, the bell rang. They all went into the school building.

In the classroom, Malcolm sat next to Mortimer. The seat on his other side was empty, because Melora Zawn, the girl who used to sit there, had moved out of town. Her family moved to SimCity because her father was appointed to work as the president's spokesperson. It had been empty for a week.

Ms. Dwayne, the teacher, came into the classroom. A little girl was following her. The girl was wearing purple dress, like the one Bella was wearing. She had beautiful brunette hair, and sapphire blue eyes. Her skin was so white until Malcolm thought she could be Snow White.

"Morning, students. You have a new friend here. Honey, introduce yourself," Ms. Dwayne announced. The girl took a deep breath and smiled. "My name is Madison Townstone. I just moved here from Rainfall Hills. It is nice to be here and meet you all," she introduced herself. "Thank you, sweetie. Now, there's an empty seat there. You sit there, okay? Beside Malcolm, the blond boy," Ms. Dwayne instructed.

Madison sat. As Ms. Dwayne started the lesson, Trigonometry, Malcolm felt he wanted to know her better. _A little chat won't be a harm, right?_, he thought. "Hey," he said. She took a look at him. "Hey…?" she replied, a little bit of questioning why a boy who looked nerdy yet cute greeted her. "I'm Malcolm. You said you were from Rainfall Hills?" he started the conversation. "Uh-huh. Why?" she asked back. "My dad… He's from Rainfall Hills, too. At least he lived there until he graduated from med school," Malcolm muttered.

Her eyes were glowing. "Why did he move from there? I mean, it is beautiful. It's not that Sunset Valley's bad. It's just… well, I _love_ Rainfall Hills," she said.

Malcolm, of course, had heard all beautiful things about Rainfall Hills, his father's hometown. Geoffrey told him how beautiful the waterfall was, and how happy his childhood was, although he grew up and lived in an orphanage. His father mentioned once that he was born to a teen mother. Geoffrey's mother left her in front of the orphanage's door and she never came back. Nobody adopted him, although he said that most children in the orphanage were still there until they went to college or graduated from high school. Geoffrey's intelligence made him able to get a scholarship to college and medical school. _You know, son? Sometimes I wish I had never left Rainfall Hills_, his father once said.

"Well, parents are parents. They rule us until we're, like, 18. They make us do things we don't like, including moving from the place we love," Malcolm commented as he started to write on his notebook about the lessons.

Madison snuffled. "Yeah right. Parents. My mom's an angel, but my dad? He sucks," she complained about her family. Malcolm raised his eyebrows. "Why is that so?"

"My mom was silly and so… young. She was seventeen and she was a high school senior. She met my dad, who was a pizza delivery man, and they fell in love somehow—I don't know, my mom's not good in choosing a guy. He's ten years older than him, but for me they both were childish. When she graduated from high school and went to police academy, they got married secretly. To be exact, they eloped. Three years later, I was born. A week after my birth, my dad got fired and he couldn't find any other job because he didn't go to college or something," she told him. "We moved here because my mother got an offer from SVPD, and she said we could have a fresh start here. Isn't it weird that we moved here when I'm a sixth-grader? I mean, in less than a year I'm going to be in middle school," she continued. As she talked about her life, Malcolm looked at her. He noticed there were rare golden locks in her hair. She was beautiful and lovely.

At lunch time, it was clear that Bella, Shelby Collins, and Lily Weinstein were interested on her. They were the most popular girl in elementary school. It was possible that Madison was going to enter the popular circle. The four of them sat together and they talked together. It was very obvious that Madison was welcomed in the circle.

"You know what? I know we're still eleven, but, hey, I think I'm gonna ask Bella out when I'm, like, fourteen or fifteen," Mortimer said as he ate his Autumn Salad.

"And I'm gonna get Darlene. I'll make sure that Arlo is suffering the rest of his life by seeing me with his sister," Zach said, a little bit wickedly. Malcolm smiled when he heard what his friends said. "I'll have Madison," he announced, coolly.

Little Corsican Bistro was the most elegant and chic restaurant in Sunset Valley. It was one of the places that attracted everyone.

Nancy and Gunther were having lunch there. They discussed work but they also talked about their neighbors. "Simis Bachelor's daughter is cute, right?" Gunther commented as he took a sip of his iced tea. Nancy smiled. She didn't even know Simis and Jocasta Bachelor's children's names. She didn't care, after all. All she cared was her business.

"So tell me, Nancy, how's your family? Mortimer says he plays a lot with your Malcolm," Gunther asked. "Well…," Nancy said. She couldn't even remember when was the last time she actually talked or spent some time with her son. "Malcolm's doing well. He… loves to read. He gets that from Geoffrey," Nancy murmured as she ate a spoonful of her Tri-Tip Steak.

Gunther wasn't satisfied with the answer. He knew that his boss, Nancy, was busy and an ambitious workaholic, but he never thought that she cared so little about her own child.

"Now tell me about Cornelia," Nancy changed the topic. Gunther sighed. "She's doing great. Well, at least I think she is. I like her. I thank her for saving my life and giving me a wonderful child like Mortimer, but I can't love her the way I loved Lolita. I shouldn't have let her repair that damn television." His voice was sinking. Nancy rubbed his shoulder. "It's okay. It was an accident," she calmed him down.

"Cornelia saved me when I was drowning—not literally. She came into my house one night. I swear at that time I didn't know her much. She told me I couldn't do this much longer. I should move on. I should think about my deceased parents and Lolita and how upset they would be if they saw me like this, especially Lolita. That night, I dreamt of Lolita again. Well, I used to dream about her pretty often, only this time was different. 'She was right, my darling,' she said in my dream. 'I want you to be the man I fell in love with. Cornelia's the one for you. She's the one you need,' she said again.

"The next day, I proposed to Cornelia. She said yes, although she was worried about her sister, Agnes, a woman I barely knew. We were married, and… you know the rest of the story, right?" Gunther explained. Nancy drank her juice. _I know you married Cornelia. But you don't love _Cornelia, she thought, smiling.


	3. Dearest Readers

**Dearest readers, I am sorry that I haven't published the third chapter of **_**The Landgraab Tale**_** for, like, weeks. Although I am not the kind of girl who really likes studying or such, but these weeks my life has been filled with assignment and homework. I might not be able to complete the chapter in a few weeks, but I hope you could understand my situation. If I don't study hard I would not get great results in my National Examination. And if I don't get great results, I might not be able to attend the high school I want.**

**I am thankful and grateful that you all are enjoying reading my fanfic. Thank you, and once I've finished my examinations I would complete the third chapter as soon as I can. And I will do my best to make the chapter's worth to be waited. Thanks, guys!**

_**Lady Fafa**_


	4. Chapter 3

**GUYS! I'm so sorry for making you wait for nearly a year! I won't disappoint you any longer, please enjoy my new chapter and I hope I'll update fast! Rate and Review!**

"I thought by now the high level doctors would be home, Dr. Landgraab."

Geoffrey turned around, and found Jamie Jolina, the beautiful young intern. She had been working at the hospital for almost eight months, and many single male doctors were interested with her.

"Well, I'm taking the night shifts. There's so many that we could do at the hospital," Geoffrey smiled to Jamie. She sniffed and she said softly: "Is Mrs. Landgraab at home with your son?"

Geoffrey didn't answer the question. The answer was very simple and predictable. Let's just face it: when was the last time Nancy wholeheartedly stay home, help Malcolm with his homework, or have a little intimate moment with him? Perhaps that happened when Nancy was still thirty-four and Malcolm was only five.

"Let's get some coffee, Dr. Landgraab. I'm also taking the night shifts," Jamie offered him, to which he agreed.

As they walked to the hospital's cafeteria, Geoffrey realized how charming Jamie was. No wonder many men adored her, and it was the worst kept secret that Thornton Wolff, the businessman who worked in the business but below Nancy's level, took a great liking on Jamie. This led Thornton's wife, Morgana, to dislike Jamie. However, Geoffrey believed that if only Thornton didn't have a special feeling for Jamie, Morgana would also like her.

When she was younger, Dakota always thought that by age thirty-one, she would be living in a beautiful house downtown, working as a journalist, married to a charming gentleman, and with two lovely children. She always thought she'd be visiting her parents every month, giving tickets to Tiki Island for their golden wedding anniversary.

Now, she sometimes regretted her decisions as a teenager.

Sure, she would never have wished that her beautiful daughter Madison had never been born, but she sure wished that Madison's father was not Jersey. At least not _this_ Jersey.

Until now, Dakota still wondered why she eloped with Jersey at eighteen from her peaceful life in Riverview to the more complex Bridgeport. How could she trust him? Jersey was ten years older than her, made living as a pizza deliverer, and was taking night classes to get his GED. Yet, Dakota fell in love with him—or at least she believed she did—and decided to run away from her parents' home after high school and got married.

"I thought you had enough savings for us to rent an apartment!" Dakota remembered the first time she was angry at Jersey.

"I did, but it was only enough for the one that can't have free electricity and water," he said hesitantly. She thought their simple marriage would not be as simple as _this_.

Dakota enrolled at the police academy, since it was the only education she could afford with her money. Of course, she excelled at her studies and became one of the best apprentices at the academy, and sure she hoped that her husband would get a job and rent a better apartment. Yet, when Dakota gave birth to their beautiful daughter Madison at age twenty, Jersey's job as a waiter in the local diner couldn't pay for the bills properly.

Finally, after years of wanting to live in a more peaceful town/neighborhood, they finally were able to move to Sunset Valley, a beautiful district of the city, after Dakota got a job as a policewoman there.

As she cooked tonight's dinner, she looked at her husband of thirteen years. She remembered the decision she had made just this morning. She would not take it back. She had had enough.

"I thought you were making some mac and cheese for dinner," Madison said as she smelled the tasty aroma of the spaghetti sauce.

"We've had mac and cheese two days ago, baby," she muttered.

How would she tell her daughter about her decision? It was the best, sure. But what if Madison, eleven and bright and fragile, couldn't understand? What if Madison felt that her mother no longer loved her?

"Dad! Dinnertime!" Madison announced as Dakota poured the sauce into a bowl.

Jersey went to the dining room, and Dakota's fears and bravery started to become one complicated union.

"How was school, baby?" Dakota asked as she ate. "So so. As if anything would ever happen," she answered.

They continued dinner quietly, though Jersey's eating was not quiet. Soon after they all finished their dinner, Dakota gathered her bravery and said: "Jersey, I need to talk to you. Let's go to the bedroom." Before Madison could even say a word, Dakota warned her: "Don't interrupt us, okay, sweetheart? I'll tuck you in later."


	5. Chapter 4

"This is not happening."

Nancy shook her head, washed her face, and even pinched her own arm to try to prove that what she saw was not true. She tried to convince herself that this was just a bad dream—a nightmare before her scheduled meeting with some celebrities from Bridgeport that want to invest in her business. But no matter how she tried, she knew that it was all in vain. She couldn't change the truth.

She thought that by age thirty-nine she wouldn't have to deal with morning sickness, baby shower, or childbirth. She remembered when she gave birth to Malcolm eleven years ago. The smell of blood and alcohol and medical gloves really drove her nuts. The pain—well, it was more painful than a broken arm or leg.

But now, here she was, standing in the bathroom, looking at the pregnancy test that showed that she was pregnant. What would she say to Geoffrey? She shook her head. Geoffrey must be really happy and excited to have another child, as he had always liked little children. To Nancy, a child was needed to become her heir and to maintain her status in the high society.

She thought of Geoffrey who had always been a family man while she was always the working girl. She thought of Malcolm, eleven years old and bright and charming, yet she never really cared about her son. She thought of Gunther, the man she really loved, who was never fully over his dead wife. She also thought of the neighbors—excluding the Alto family, obviously—who she did not know very well. They all would be very happy and excited with the baby. In fact, Nancy, the mother, was the only one who didn't want the baby.

Mortimer loved his family and his house, despite of their weirdness and the fact that his house had its own graveyard. He loved the idea of solitude, peace, and clarity. He always thought that this was because of his true nature as an artist who loved serenity. Mortimer never realized that the only thing that keeps his parents together was Mortimer himself. In fact, Mortimer was the reason that this marriage even existed.

He walked to the highest peak of the Goth Manor, his house. It was a dark, gothic nursery. Though he surely loved the aura that came from his house, he never fully understood why his parents made a plain and quite dark nursery for their firstborn. He remembered going to Bella's house and sneak a peek at Bella's brother, Michael's bedroom. Bella said it had always been Michael's bedroom since he was a baby, and the wallpaper hadn't been changed. The walls were covered with 'cream custard' wallpaper, usually for unisex nursery. Sure, Mortimer would never want to sleep in a yellowish room, but he just wondered why his nursery was dark, as if his presence was not very welcomed.

"Mortimer, aren't you going to sleep? It's quite late already. Have you finished your homework?" His mother asked as she noticed him going downstairs from the nursery.

"I am. I'll just brush my teeth," he answered as he walked to his bedroom.

Cornelia looked at her boy. God, must Mortimer become just like his father to her? Must Mortimer become kind-hearted but… cold? _If only I knew what I could do to change these things_, she thought. You know what they say: like father like son.


End file.
